Yu Yu's first instinct was to whip out her spellbook and teleport away.
She was fast, but her face fell the next second. "Who designed this place? No teleporting?!"
Wasn't this a guaranteed wipe?!
A trap, for sure!!!
"Senior! Can golems detect invisibility?"
In a crisis, Yu Yu's mind raced. She blurted the question without a pause.
Xue: [Mithril golems, yes.]
Yu Yu: "Can I just touch them to store the active golems in my satchel?!"
Xue: [No, that'd damage your satchel. Golems would move inside.]
Yu Yu went numb. "Why're these stupid golems so overpowered?!"
She eyed the long, narrow stone path and gave up on running. Even basic iron golems had high-energy beam attacks, she recalled. Her fragile frame? One hit, dead. And even if she escaped, where to? If the golems smashed the plants outside, she'd cry.
Dragon Blood Trees sounded expensive.
Checking her stats, Yu Yu muttered, "I've got 12 Agility now… I can't just wipe…"
Her recent gear boosted either Constitution or Agility. With her old gear, she'd scraped together 12 Agility. Back when Fuyu and the others were mid-tier, they only had 12 Agility too.
[Swift Stride] activated.
A Forest Blessing necklace from a long-ago monster drop, never swapped out. The Magic Circle was too OP—Yu Yu rarely saw combat. When she did, it was unbeatable foes, so her gear stayed mostly untouched.
Five iron—no, mithril—clunkers.
Yu Yu: "Why's one gold? Legendary limited edition?"
The space's walls were translucent. The five clunkers' attacks rippled the walls lightly, doing nothing.
Moments later, the livestream crowd fell silent.
Yu Yu flitted like a butterfly among the golems.
From clumsy, heart-stopping dodges to effortless grace.
Every step, every Gust spell, was perfectly timed, catlike in agility.
This nimbleness belonged on rogues, rangers, or seasoned transmutation spellcasters—not Yu Yu. They were stunned, as if their lazy, whiny housecat suddenly bared razor claws—and wielded them well. They even noticed Yu Yu deliberately adjusting the golems' positions, syncing their attack rhythms.
To be fair, if the golems had intelligence, or if the space didn't limit their high-power spells, Yu Yu wouldn't pull this off. But…
No ifs.
Watching the increasingly relaxed, masterful cat, Feng Ye's tone grew odd, tinged with surprise. [Little Yu's pretty good at dodging?]
Yu Yu found her groove. Back in the day, she was Destiny's top warlock—global server. She'd fought countless battles: NPC, player, guild wars, faction wars, nation wars, street fights, strongholds, sieges, ambushes, you name it.
Destiny's environment offered no Magic Circle protection for warlocks. Stepping outside meant rogues hunting you—daily drama. Warlocks weren't as broken as spellcasters. Yu Yu knew every class's skills, techniques, positioning, timing, effects, and cooldowns inside out.
She'd once predicted a top rogue's attack up close, parrying a lethal strike with her staff. She'd led warlock squads to freeze entire zones, wiping three 500-man enemy guild squads. Her top warlock title was earned in blood. In Eternal Darkness, though, she was just a kitten. Had to admit it.
Yu Yu huffed, "I'm kinda good at it. Back in Destiny, I was chased daily."
Meng, bristling, [Who dared chase you?]
Yu Yu: "Not Eternal Darkness—Destiny. I was Destiny's top warlock. Too many players wanted to kill me for fame, and Azure Waves had tons of enemy guilds!"
Feng Ye lost interest. [Just a game.]
Yu Yu raised a brow but echoed, "Just a game. Bigwigs, got any solutions? I don't wanna circle these metal lumps forever!"
Though she said "just a game," Feng Ye's OCD was soothed.
Yu Yu had arranged the five golems into a pentagram, their attacks rhythmic and orderly, a loop that pleased the spellcasters' perfectionist hearts.
Spellcasters should control everything.
Naturally.
But…
Feng Ye muttered, [Are golems really this dumb? These are mithril golems.]
What was Yu Yu doing?
She used the golems as shields, their attacks blocked by the golem in front of her. The space seemed to limit their power, suppressing area spells. With their low intelligence, it led to this scene. A mechanical pentagram rotation, endless. If Yu Yu wanted, she could keep circling.
Xue, unfazed, [Golems aren't for solo combat. They shine in legions on battlefields. One arcane beam salvo, and no rogue's dodging.]
As for now…
Who uses mithril golems for armies? Got money to burn?
Flame Sovereign watched, giving a slight nod. [Not bad, but you've been at this so long and haven't thought to use spells?]
Yu Yu griped, "These things are nearly spell-immune, with anti-invisibility. Illusions or control spells probably won't work. This terrain—I can't even alter the environment. Spells like Thunder Leap or Swap Ground would mess up my rhythm. I can't use fourth-ring spells. What can I do? I'm desperate!"
"Bigwigs, got a plan? Stop with the commentary! Or I'm logging off for three days' rest! I haven't slept properly in ages!"
Feng Ye: [Got a small trick, but like you said, you can't use it.]
Xue: [Golem spells are a specialized branch, elective even for high-tiers. The ones that control golems directly require prerequisite spells you can't learn.]
Yu Yu: [No! If it's not fourth-ring, I can learn and use it! Just a longer cast time!]
Xue, self-mocking, [Forgot about that.]
Her words barely landed when Yu Yu received a new spell: [Dominate Golem].
A weird spell, no doubt complex in theory, but players' perk was using it without understanding the mechanics.
Flame Sovereign: [Seems a lot's happened I don't get…]
Yu Yu began a long cast. Lucky she'd picked the "mobile casting" passive, or she'd be stuck in place.
A player downside: rigid, inflexible.
Feng Ye watched, arms crossed, now at the front lines. She hadn't planned to come, but Yu Yu kept sparking surprises.
"Grand Archon."
"Teacher?" Felix was stunned.
The black-robed woman nodded, scanning the area. Seeing it in person beat watching a stream.
"A long-lost phase spell," Feng Ye mused. "Looks like getting in depends on Yu Yu."
Phase spells were special teleportation magic, tied to specific conditions. This one clearly hinged on Yu Yu. Was it her triggering the phase, or the Puglis Satchel causing it?
From the stream, Shang Wei and the others saw the stele too, so this was likely an obvious phase point. But without seeing exclamation marks, they hadn't noticed.
Meng: [We never paid attention to Restoration ruins before. Only after Yu Yu brought back spells last time did we take it seriously.]
They dove into work talk. Felix kept watching the stream, jotting notes occasionally.
Yu Yu, meanwhile, was floored.
"This spell needs authority?!"
The cast succeeded, but the golems flashed red and kept attacking.
Xue realized, [Right. To prevent accidents, every golem has authority levels. Even unclaimed ones, unlinked to the Magic Circle, have built-in settings. You now…]
Yu Yu went numb. "So I die?"
Wanna log off and eat. Hungry.
Feng Ye, calm, "Don't you have my badge?"
Yu Yu tilted her head. "That'll work?"
Others: [???]
Chong: [Since when?]
Gui Fan popped up. [Feng Ye, you're bold!]
Giving a mid-tier spellcaster a badge tied to a Grand Archon's authority? Lucky the Magic Circle had no laws against it.
Guang Chen: [Petty minds. Think we'd steal it?]
Chang Ming: [Shame, I've got a badge too. I could've given it.]
Feng Ye could be decisive, outpacing others. The black-robed woman, hands behind her, gave a scornful sniff, silent. Felix pondered quietly. Her teacher stayed in Silver Moon for twenty years, never leaving. Now she was at the front lines. For the Light Cone, or Yu Yu?
After a moment, Felix bet on the Light Cone. Yu Yu cast again, pulling out the badge, activating it with a special spell.
"Feng Ye" floated in the air.
This time, the golems flashed blue, obeying Yu Yu's commands, blocking their peers' attacks.
One, two, three…
Finally, all five stood still.
Yu Yu pocketed the badge, wiping her brow. "So tiring… exhausted…"
She patted each one, even the gold limited-edition golem, stowing them in her satchel.
At last time's reward rate, that's 500,000 points.
Unless the stingy Grand Archon pulled some trick to reclaim them.
Yu Yu, scheming, "Senior Chong? Senior Chong? You there?"
Chong: […I'm here. I'm here. I'm here.]
Yu Yu: "Your last offer still good?"
Flame Sovereign was deep in thought, but Jin Che watched the stream, amused, feeling tomorrow's promise grow.
Watching Little Yu's stream—listening to music, reading, joining a favorite junior to see the sights, watching her bounce around—was surprisingly fun. Better than she'd imagined after death.
And Yu Yu brought it all.
Unbeknownst to her, Jin Che's favor soared, hitting a solid 92.
Chong: […It's good.]
Others: […]
Chong: [Come out, and bring the golems to me.]
Meng couldn't resist. "Grand Archon, Chong's tail is…?"
Feng Ye pinched her chin. "Dunno. The Magic Circle doesn't pry into private matters. Maybe mutation, or she kept it for fun after transforming. Who knows? But since Yu Yu wants to see, let her."
"Chong agreed," Feng Ye said coolly. "If it's mutation, she should see it. I trust Chong to guide her well."
"She keeps yapping about death, ignoring corruption," Feng Ye griped. "She needs to see its consequences."
Meng sighed. "Fair enough."
She worried they'd sheltered Yu Yu too much. If she couldn't handle physical mutation, mental collapse could follow. Corruption's subtle impact on personality and psyche was scarier than physical changes. If Yu Yu's mindset cracked, that'd be the real trouble. Even if they adored her, they'd handle her more cautiously.
Feng Ye added, "Outsiders might not mutate. Their bodies and minds are separate."
Yu Yu's grin widened. "Got it, Senior Chong, no problem! I'm bringing the golems to you!"
She didn't see the pity and sighs in their gazes. How would Yu Yu react?
Chong wouldn't hide anything. Despite Feng Ye's support and Meng and Chang's care, the stream lacked reality. They wondered: could Yu Yu bear Feng Ye's planned role?
Would she stay loyal to the Magic Circle?
The Magic Circle never feared trying, always ready to pay for failure.
Always had.
Yu Yu, humming, approached the third slab. "Your Excellency, your time to shine!"
Meng went numb. That's how you address an Excellency?
Meng: [Yu Yu, speak properly.]
Flame Sovereign glanced at the stream. [What's wrong with the little runt's talk? Seems fine.]
Meng: ???
You okay?
Feng Ye, also numb, murmured, "Maybe Her Excellency's laid-back?"
But she remembered Flame Sovereign as rigidly upright, fiercely proud, even stubborn later. Anyone disrespecting him got a loud reprimand, punished.
What?
Had Flame Sovereign been swapped?
Feng Ye sank into deep confusion.
Yu Yu didn't overthink, standing on the third slab. "Grand Archon, bless me! No danger this time—I want cash!"
Feng Ye: […]
She gave up responding.
Qian: [?]
She finally popped up. [First time someone's called me that.]
Yu Yu: "Uh, oops…"
After Flame Sovereign's struggle, he outwitted the artificial idiot again.
[Welcome home, Saint Puglis, Her Excellency.]
"Aaah! Grand Archon, I love you!"
[Discovered Workshop Zone — Progress: 79%]
A mage tower appeared before her!
Yu Yu, self-taught, raised Feng Ye's badge, opening the unclaimed tower's door.
"Huh, was the Grand Archon's authority that high back then?"
Feng Ye gave a light huff. [Of course. Grand Archons are the elite. Any doubt?]
Xue, icy, [I think not.]
Feng Ye: […?]
Guifan: […]
Guang Chen: […]
Chang Ming: […]
Others glanced, then pretended not to see.
Some cycled through three of the four Grand Archon roles, then ran off to manage the Academy. Different clout.
Feng Ye, dismissive, [That's your opinion.]
Dai: [I agree, not.]
Others: […]
Fine. Some, corrupted, went fishing. Among two-character High Stewards, a few had been Grand Archons, even mentoring current ones. Like the current Internal Affairs Grand Archon. Luckily, the Magic Circle's succession included an Obedience Pact for smooth governance, avoiding chaos. With "spellcaster" synonymous with clever and headstrong, it was necessary. Feng Ye didn't flinch, but the others stayed quiet.
Flame Sovereign: [Done looking?]
Yu Yu finished, skimming the stream's comments.
She'd learned something juicy!
Feng Ye: [Stop gawking at nonsense. What's in the notes?]
Yu Yu: "Uh, she was a gardener, but legendary."
Feng Ye: […]
Flame Sovereignty: […]
Jin Che: […]
Everyone: […]
Feng Ye, faintly, [No need to point that out.]
Flame Sovereign: [Little Feng Ye's right.]
Feng Ye: […]
Flame Sovereign [I remember you. The Night Sovereign's little named disciple, right?]
Feng Ye: […Yes, Your Excellency.]
Feng Ye, the Night Sovereign's only named disciple.
Flame Sovereign: [Good talent, good temperament. She didn't formally take you to avoid repeating my mistakes?]
Feng Ye broke into a cold sweat.
This was what she feared!!!
How to answer?
Seeing her silence, Flame Sovereign pressed, [Hmph, useless. Not even as bold as the little runt.]
Feng Ye: […]
True, not as bold as Yu Yu.
Yu Yu: "For the record, I'm Yu Yu, not little runt."
She rummaged through chests, her practiced looting hard to watch. Jin Che, mildly curious about the Magic Circle's current state, focused on Yu Yu. Watching her rifle through, she said, "Spellcasters keep stuff in satchels. Why dig through that?"
The mage tower was small—maybe always, or shrunken without its master.
Yu Yu scoured it top to bottom in no time.
"Doesn't seem like a senior's home—just a workplace, with only this stuff."
"A legendary badge!" Yu Yu held it up, eyes sparkling.
Feng Ye mocked, [You don't know secret arts. It's useless to you.]
Even a legendary's authority might not outrank a Grand Archon's. Since the Magic Circle's founding, Grand Archons were second only to the Council.
Yu Yu huffed, "Guess her school!"
Feng Ye went quiet.
Guang Chen, eager, [Restoration?]
"Yep, Restoration!"
"Shame she was just working," Yu Yu sighed. "Only found three books, one without spells."
[Acquired 'Healing Grace' (4th-Ring)]
[Acquired 'Mass Revival' (3rd-Ring)]
She stowed all three.
She'd learned: books were treasures, don't toss them.
Guang Chen rallied, [Not bad, beyond my expectations.]
Yu Yu: "Should I dig up the Dragon Blood Trees too?"
Feng Ye mused, [We probably can't get in. Dig them when you leave. Xue, how do we handle these herbs?]
Xue: [Researching.]
Yu Yu tried opening the legendary's satchel. Failed!
Feng Ye: [Bring it back, use Magic Circle authority to open it.]
Meng: [Don't get hopes up. Back then, spellcasters didn't hand over goods before dying. The Magic Circle might not crack it.]
[And legendary wards? We're likely powerless.]
Yu Yu: "Oh, no body here either. Maybe just a work satchel—not worth the effort."
Same trick, fourth slab.
[Discovered Herb Storage Zone — 99%]
Yu Yu expected cabinets. Instead, the herb storage was…
Rows of light gates, like the ones Senior Chong showed her.
Yu Yu gaped. "How do I move this?"
Feng Ye's fingers clenched, barely containing her excitement. "You've got space. Go in and move them one by one."
Five gates, each holding heaps of one herb type!
Yu Yu, disappointed, "Only herbs, no recipes."
"Huh? I've seen this somewhere… Wasn't it in that potion? Uh, Skyheart Orb, weird name…"
Chang, mostly silent, boomed, [Yes, that's it!]
[The Magic Circle has the other herbs. We're only missing one now,] Chang said, thrilled. [Yu, if you see a Mindlink Fish, bring it back!!!]
She detailed its appearance, function, and pre-extinction habitat.
Yu Yu, half-getting it, "So what's this recipe for?"
Chang paused. [Nurtures the mind.]
Yu Yu: "Oh? Like Deep Blue Potion? That boosts mental strength directly!"
Xue: [These herbs are all for Deep Blue Potion.]
She restrained her tone.
If… they might recreate Deep Blue Potion. But only Yu could enter the Light Cone now. Otherwise, they'd gain a corruption-free plot, small but enough to bolster the Magic Circle. The Magic Circle stored many seeds, some rivaling Deep Blue Potion's value. But now, the Magic Circle was too strapped, lacking everything.
Yu Yu hauled crates.
The Magic Circle's style was clear.
These precious herbs? Rows of cabinets, packed with sealed crates.
Big crates, under spell protection, herbs still pristine.
Every detail screamed Magic Circle: filthy rich.
Five gates later, Yu Yu was exhausted.
Physical labor! She stumbled out, steps wobbly, sweating buckets.
Only then did she recall their talk. "Senior, don't worry, I'll grab it if I see it!"
"But, Senior, your mind's off? Insomnia?"
Chang hesitated. [Ask Meng later.]
Meng was rubbing her temples.
Felix, puzzled, "Senior Meng, what's up?"
Meng: "Nothing. They keep dumping stuff on me."
Yu Yu muttered, "Got it."
Meng, veteran worker. Anything they didn't want to explain went to Senior Meng. Her schedule was booked five years out!
After moving everything, Yu Yu noticed her quest wasn't done.
"Why 99%? What'd I miss?"
She pondered.
Then, under Xue's guidance, she started uprooting trees. Notably, one warehouse held Dragon Blood Tree resin.
After several sweeps, Yu Yu found no gaps. "What's wrong?"
She eyed the first slab, stepping on it. "Here?"
As she stood, a vision flashed—the towering tower from before. Through the cloud sea, her mind felt pulled, then cut off. A new map appeared, with a red dot.
"Senior? Senior, did you see that?"
"What?"
[Puglis Light Cone (Legendary)] (Completed)
[Gained 5% Puglis Light Cone Authority, Magic Circle Favor +10]
[Gained +100,000 EXP, +100,000 Magic Circle Points, +10,000 Gold]
[Gained 'Shiva Map' x1]
Yu Yu gaped. "Whoa!"
Meng couldn't hold back. "Stop 'whoa'-ing! Why're you out? Can you go back?"
Yu Yu tried. "Nope, the Light Cone's gone."
She recalled, "It showed me a map before leaving."
Opening the rewarded map, she pointed for Meng. "There's a red dot here. If I go, I'll probably see a golden exclamation mark."
Meng, disappointed, "Not that easy, huh."
Without Yu Yu and the Magic Circle, they might never have found the Light Cone. After it vanished, legendary spellcasters searched but failed. Hence, the Magic Circle knew of it but never tried hunting it. Mainland's fall didn't help.
Feng Ye coughed twice.
Yu Yu spun, shocked. "Grand Archon, why're you here?"
Gui Fan: [Good question. Why are you here?]
Feng Ye, breezy, "Can't I take a stroll?"
Yu Yu asked, "What's Magic Circle favor? Everyone gives me +10 favor? What a deal!"
Feng Ye nearly choked. "No such thing!"
Yu Yu: "I leveled up!!!"
Ten thousand gold!!!
Wealth doubled!
Plus a super-clear continental map.
But overall, the rewards…
Was the legendary reward tied to the Light Cone?
5% authority—what's it do?
She couldn't get back in!
So low.
Feng Ye's expression wavered, unsure whether to explain Magic Circle favor's role.
Flame Sovereign: [Hmph, Magic Circle favor is just Circle authority. But you wouldn't know how to use it.]
"!!!"
Yu Yu's fiery gaze made Feng Ye look away. "Don't stare. I can't decide. I'll report to Her Excellency later."
Feng Ye, weak!
Yu Yu: "Senior Chong, where you at?! I'm bringing the golems!!!"
She bolted outside. Carrying five precious mithril golems, countless rare herbs, precious un-submitted Restoration spells, and that rare authority, she just ran.
Feng Ye had a split-second meltdown. "Get back here!"
Meng's heart clenched. "I think we should head back now."
Yu Yu was too valuable, tied to reclaiming the Light Cone.
She couldn't run wild like this!!!
Feng Ye teleported after her.
Felix and Meng chased too.
They seemed to forget something.
"Senior Chong, I'm here!!!"
"I…"
Yu Yu froze.
Above, a silver-white giant wolf darted through the sky, sleek fur flowing like a silver moon, lofty and majestic.
The wolf's deep blue, sea-clear eyes radiated proud authority, gazing afar, her glossy fur glowing with soft moonlight.
From Yu Yu's angle, she saw only the silky, satin-like chest fur.
Wolf! Long-furred wolf! Glowing long-furred wolf!!!!
Yu Yu's eyes widened.
Her mouth opened.
Her voice cracked, "WOLF!!!!!!"
Feng Ye, grabbing her collar, stared in disbelief.
Felix, just arriving, was frowning at the Duchess when she heard it.
Yu Yu: "WOLF!!! It's a WOLF!!! AAAH WOLF!!!!" (voice breaking)
Felix: "?"
Meng glanced at the Duchess, then Felix, tilting her head.
"Don't grab me, let go, LET GO!!!"
"WOLF WOLF WOLF WOLF!!!!" (screaming hoarse)